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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1858 | 2 |
| 1860 | 2 |
| 1862 | 7 |
| 1863 | 1 |
| 1872 | 4 |
| 1876 | 42 |
| 1877 | 19 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1880 | 1 |
| 1882 | 2 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1884 | 2 |
| 1885 | 19 |
| 1886 | 6 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 20 |
| 1889 | 18 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 8 |
| 1892 | 42 |
| 1893 | 59 |
| 1894 | 35 |
| 1895 | 36 |
| 1899 | 1 |
| 1903 | 1 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1910 | 1 |
360 stories
- The Boomtown That Expected to Replace Seattle
In 1888, the 'Key City' of Port Townsend was convinced its massive rail subsidy and harbor status would make it the primary metropolis of the Pacific Northwest.
- The 'Key City' Hype Machine: A 19th-Century Real Estate Fever Dream
Before Seattle cemented its dominance, Port Townsend was positioning itself as the 'future great city of the New Northwest,' fueled by a massive, speculative railroad subsidy.
- The Miracle of the Scalped Man
A brush with death on the frontier: a survivor recounts the chilling moment he was scalped by Indians and miraculously saved by his traveling party.
- The Rowdiest Port in the Pacific Northwest
An 1872 report describes the brutal realities of the maritime labor market in Port Townsend, where sailors were coerced into service and returned to shore battered and bruised.
- The Unexplained Departure of Mrs. Frite
A husband’s public notice of his wife’s desertion sparks confusion in Port Townsend, as he vows to never take her back.
- Sheriff Blocks 28 Miners From Landing — a Newspaper Calls Out the 'Chronic Pauper Hunter'
In 1877, a steamboat captain brought 28 out-of-work miners from Victoria to Port Townsend. The sheriff said they were paupers and refused to let them off the boat. This Seattle editor wasn't having it.
- The Great Room Shortage: Port Townsend’s Hotels Burst at the Seams
As Portland investors pour money into the Puget Sound city, locals warn that seven hotels aren't enough—residents are begging for permanent housing before the next boom hits.
- The Tragedy of Point Wilson
A failed towing negotiation in Port Angeles led to a desperate, fatal attempt to sail across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
- The General Who Refused to Work Sundays
A Civil War veteran turned customs official risks his government pension to stand against a 41-hour shift demand at the Port Townsend docks.
- The Unseen Color Line: A Soldier’s Rejection at Fort Townsend
A Black enlistee, accepted into the service and stationed in Washington Territory, finds himself turned away by a commanding officer who refused to honor his commission based on race.
- The Shadowy Arrival at Port Townsend
Federal authorities intercept two young Chinese men smuggled into Washington Territory as 'contraband,' exposing the illicit human trafficking trade operating under the noses of border officials.
- The Great Smuggled Salmon Caper
When federal agents boarded the steamer Idaho, they didn't just find barrels of fish—they found a desperate, high-stakes attempt to smuggle opium into the Pacific Northwest.
- Fire Ravages Port Townsend's 'Chinatown'
A morning fire levels several properties in the Chinese quarter, leaving the community to count their losses.
- The Silent Cutters of Puget Sound
A standoff at the Custom House reveals that government revenue vessels sat idle while local sailors risked their lives in the waves.
- The Mutiny at the Mines
When the National Guard refused to muster out of service after a stint at the King County mines, a military adjutant faced down his own men in a tense standoff over labor and authority.
- The Political Hatchet Job That Failed
A Port Townsend city treasurer finds himself the victim of a coordinated, sensationalist smear campaign—only for the local press to walk it back.
- The Chamber of Commerce That Committed Suicide
A political operative's attempt to sabotage Seattle’s growth leads to the total dissolution of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce.
- Democratic Party Leaders Brawl on Port Townsend Street
A reprimand regarding unpaid city bonds sparked a public physical fight between the city treasurer and the chairman of the county central committee.
- The Embargo on the Sound
Federal quarantine regulations at Port Townsend are throttling commerce and forcing freight ships to run at a loss.
- The Scramble for the Customs House
With a new President taking office, candidates are fighting for the most lucrative federal post in Washington state.
- The Devil's Range
A drunken seaman's terrifying hallucination on a Port Townsend stove.
- The Shipping Union’s Legal Ambush
Sailors' union activists attempt to use state court writs to challenge the legality of non-union, foreign-recruited crews aboard a ship in Port Townsend.
- The Persistent Suitor and the Runaway Heiress
A wealthy San Francisco socialite chases a teenager to Port Townsend, sparking a frantic legal and social drama.
- The Mutinous Voyage of the Bark McNear
A crew alleges their captain was perpetually intoxicated, abusive, and endangered the ship while failing to provide decent food.
- The Perilous Seat of the Customs Collector
A history of the Puget Sound customs office reveals a chronicle of smugglers, political infighting, and violent tragedies.
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